Snow Moving Device

ABSTRACT

A snow removal device in the form of a three panel scoop or plough includes a center panel with two side panels hinged or otherwise connected to the center panel. All three panels can have hand holes for a user manipulating the scoop when pushing or scooping snow from a driveway or other surface. The panels can be substantially planar and have a lip or scraper on a forward edge to assist in scooping snow. The side panels can be hinged to the center panel in an opposite fashion to allow the scoop to be folded for storage in a Z-shaped folding movement to a substantially flat, three layer configuration. A container can be removably attached to one of the panels. The container can be used to hold ice-melting granules for application by a user to icy surfaces during a snow removal operation.

BACKGROUND

Snow removal is important for a typical homeowner or apartment dweller. The heretofore known devices for removing snow from walkways and driveways has been by motorized snow blower, vehicle mounted plow, or manual snow shovel. Both the motorized snow blower and vehicle mounted plow typically require the use of an internal combustion engine. Vehicle mounted snow plows may be ineffective in plowing in close quarters. The manual snow shovel does not require fuel but has a small shovel head and requires lifting of snow on the shovel head and projection of the snow away from the area being cleared of snow. Clearing snow using a snow shovel is time consuming and strenuous.

One attempted solution to the above drawbacks is the use of a manual snow scoop or hand plow. Such devices are used to push snow rather than shoveling snow. Various snow scoops or snow pushing implements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,190,558; 2,720,043; 3,583,746; 8,230,623; 4,245,411; 5,056,245; 4,516,799 and 4,607,872 and US Patent Application 20080030036.

The present inventor has recognized that it would be desirable to provide a snow moving device that is pushed by a user to plow or push snow, makes the removal of wide paths of snow possible in a quick manner, and is easy to use and easy to store when not in use.

SUMMARY

The invention comprises a snow removal device in the form of a three panel scoop or plough. The device includes a center panel with two side panels hinged or otherwise connected to the center panel. All three panels can have hand holes for a user manipulating the scoop when pushing or scooping snow from a driveway or other surface. The panels can be substantially planar and have a lip or scraper on a forward edge to assist in scooping snow.

According to one embodiment, the side panels are hinged to the center panel in an opposite fashion to allow the scoop to be folded for storage in a Z-shaped folding movement to a substantially flat, three layer configuration.

According to another aspect, a container can be removably attached to one of the panels. The container can be used to hold ice-melting granules for application by a user to icy surfaces during a snow removal operation.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a three panel snow scoop in an unfolded, deployed position;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the three panel snow scoop of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the three panel snow scoop of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the three panel snow scoop of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4A is a schematic top view diagram showing the folding movement of the three panels of the snow scoop;

FIG. 5 is a top side view of the three panel snow scoop of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the center panel of FIG. 3, separate from the side panels;

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the panel shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the panel shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a hinge element shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view taken from FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a side panel taken from FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the panel shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a right side view of the panel shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the panel shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is rear view of the snow scoop of FIG. 1 in a folded condition;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the snow scoop of FIG. 1 in a folded condition;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the snow scoop of FIG. 1 in a folded condition;

FIG. 21 is a right side view of the snow scoop of FIG. 1 in a folded condition;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of a salt shaker accessory shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 24 is a rear perspective view of the salt shaker accessory shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the salt shaker accessory shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a front view of an alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop;

FIG. 27 is a front view of the alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of a torso panel of the alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop of FIG. 26;

FIG. 29 is a rear view of a torso panel of the alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop of FIG. 26;

FIG. 30 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along lines 30-30 in FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is an enlarged, a fragmentary, rear perspective view of the alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop of FIG. 26 in a folded condition;

FIG. 32 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear perspective view of the alternate embodiment three panel snow scoop of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged, rear perspective view of a salt shaker container from FIG. 32; and

FIG. 34 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken generally along lines 34-34 in FIG. 32.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

This application incorporates by reference in its entirety, US Provisional Application Serial No. 62/690,068 filed Jun. 26, 2018.

FIGS. 1-22 illustrate a first embodiment hand plow or scoop 10 of the present invention. The plow 10 includes a center panel 12 and opposite side panels 14, 16. A hinge 18 is provided along each of the inside side edges of the side panels 14, 16 and along both side edges of the center panel 12. A shaker-dispensing container 20, holding ice melting granules, such as salt, is removably attached to one of the side panels 16. Each panel 12, 14, 16 includes a pair of hand holes 26, 28 adjacent to a top edge of each panel. The hand holes 26, 28 are ergonomically shaped having finger receiving undulations 29 for more comfortable and sure gripping by a user H.

Although a salt shaker is shown, other articles could be removably attached, such as a coffee mug.

Each panel has a lower substantially smooth surface 12 a, 14 a, 16 a on both sides, an upper reinforced surface 12 b, 14 b, 16 b, on both sides that includes a grid of reinforcing bars 12 c, 14 c, 16 c and a surrounding flange 12 d, 14 d, 16 d.

In use, as shown in FIG. 1, the user H angles the scoop 10 by gripping two hand holes and uses force to direct the scoop along the ground to scoop or push snow.

Each hinge 18 includes a plurality of spaced apart hinge knuckles 40 formed along a side edge of one panel that mesh with the hinge knuckles 40 formed on a facing side edge of an adjacent panel, and a hinge pin or rod 44, shown in FIG. 3 partially inserted, inserted through all of the knuckles 40 to assemble the hinge 18. The hinges are of a butt hinge configuration which allows a folding of the adjacent panel in one direction. The orientation of the butt hinges 18 between the center panel 12 and opposite side panels 14, 18 are reversed such as to allow folding of the three panels together in a Z-shaped folding movement as shown in FIG. 4A.

Along a bottom edge of each panel is a lip 50 that is configured to scoop snow at the lowest practical depth. The lips 50 are attached to the panels by screws 51. Alternatively the lips can be a scraper to scrape hard snow and ice during the scooping process.

Each hinge knuckle 40 includes an outer rim 56 for strength and an inner sleeve 58 for guiding the hinge rod, the outer rim and inner sleeve molded together with an intervening web 60. Formed adjacent to each hinge knuckle is a travel stop 64 that limits rotation of adjacent panels to a desired, deployed orientation. According to FIG. 5, this orientation is a single plane for all three panels 12, 14, 16. However, other angular orientations between panels is encompassed by the invention such as one of the side panels being slightly upwardly inclined in the deployed orientation.

FIGS. 18-22 illustrate the snow scoop in a folded condition, folded according to FIG. 4A. An endless elastic band 70 is used to retain the snow scoop 10 in the folded condition as shown in FIG. 18. The side panel 14, and/or 16, includes a retaining clip 72 (FIG. 17) that permit an elastic band to be wrapped around the folded panels and retained within the clip 72. The panels 12, 14, 16 can have side indents 12 f, 14 f, 16 f to further guide the band 72.

As shown in FIGS. 23-25, the shaker-dispensing container 20 includes a mounting plate 120 having upper and lower hole/slot openings 126, 128. Each opening has a lower circular region 130 and a contiguous upper slot region 132. On either side panel 14, 16, or the center panel 12, is a hanging plate 140 with upper and lower protruding studs 142, 144 each having a shaft 148, and a contiguous, circular head 150. The head 150 is sized to fit into the circular region 130 and the stud shafts are sized to allow the shaft to pass through the slot region 132 of the mounting plate 120, with the head 150 retained behind the mounting plate 120. Thus, the shaker-dispensing container 20 can be pushed onto the studs 142, 144 and pushed lower to lock the container to the panel.

The panels are advantageously composed of plastic and have a thickness of about ½ inch. Each panel has a width of about 23 inches and a length of about 48 inches.

FIGS. 26-34 illustrate an alternate embodiment snow scoop 200. This snow scoop is identical to the prior described snow scoop 10 except as noted. This snow scoop 200 includes a torso panel 206 that snaps onto the center panel 12.

The torso panel 206 has an arcuate top surface 210 that provides a user that is pushing the scoop a comfortable surface to push against with the user's waist and torso. The panel 206 includes a plurality of resilient clamps 218 that are configured to resiliently open and snap around the surrounding flange 12 c of the center panel. The side panels 14, 16 include spaced apart indentations 14 e, 16 e that accommodate the presence of clamps 218 when the snow scoop is folded flat, to allow for a tight folding of the snow scoop.

FIG. 31 illustrates an alternate salt shaker 226 snapped onto the side panel 14. Also, FIG. 31 illustrates the elastic band 70 and in this embodiment, two clips 72, one adjacent each edge. The endless band 70 can be retained by a single thickness of the band 70 captured within the clips. Clips are optional on the panel 16.

The alternate salt shaker 226 has a mounting clip 230 that dovetails with a mounting rail 232 on the panel 14. The mounting clip includes an end stop 234 to allow secure seating of the salt shaker 226 onto the rail 232. FIG. 34 shows two rails 232, one on the panel 14 and one on the panel 16. The rail 232 is fully seated on the panel 14 and beginning to be seated on the panel 16. The rail 232 is mounted onto the panel 14 by way of headed studs 240 that are pushed into upper and lower keyhole slots 244. Each keyhole slot has a circular entry 248 and a depending, narrower, slot region 250. To mount the rail 232, the studs 240 are pushed into the entries 248 and the studs are then snugly driven down into the slot regions 250.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A three panel snow scoop, comprising: a center panel; first and second side panels arranged along opposite edges of the center panel and hinged to the center panel.
 2. The scoop according to claim 1, wherein the center and side panels fold together flat for storage.
 3. The scoop according to claim 2, wherein the center and side panels fold in a Z-configuration.
 4. The scoop according to claim 1 wherein each of the panels includes a lip on a bottom edge thereof.
 5. The scoop according to claim 1 wherein each of the panels includes a scraper on a bottom edge thereof.
 6. The scoop according to claim 1 wherein each of the side panels are hinged to the center panel by a removable hinge rod. 